The present invention relates to the field of video games and, more particularly, to a video games console having an integral compact printer device.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a video gaming device, including a casing that includes a receptacle for accepting detachable storage means, the detachable storage means containing an interactive program, the casing incorporating:
communication means for receiving interaction data from at least one control device operable by a user;
processing means for executing said interactive program at least partially in reliance upon the interaction data, thereby to generate display images for output to an image display means; and
a printer apparatus including a printhead, a print media feed mechanism and a replaceable cartridge, an ink supply unit and print media supply housed jointly in said replaceable cartridge, said printer apparatus being operatively associated with said processing means to print one or more gaming images onto print media in response to execution of said interactive program.
In the preferred form, the device is designed for use with a detachable controller module that includes a variety of interactive control devices such as joysticks and control buttons etc. This controller may communicate with the device by wireless communication means such as the new xe2x80x9cBluetoothxe2x80x9d system or by cable or other suitable communication means.
In the preferred form, the print media is in the form of sheets of paper or card.
In one particularly preferred form, the replaceable cartridge includes a print media feed roller device that interacts with a non-replaceable print media feed mechanism provided within the device.
Desirably, the interactive program is activated to print out images via the printer apparatus at certain predetermined positions in the program.
The printer apparatus preferably comprises an ink jet printer that is optionally in the form of a pagewidth array of ink ejection nozzles which eject ink by means of a series of actuators. Preferably, the actuators are thermal bend actuators.
In a preferred form, the detachable program storage means is in the form of a Digital Video Disk also known as a Digital Versatile Disk (DVD) executable by a DVD player. In other similarly preferred forms CD-ROMs and semiconductor memory cartridges can be used in place of DVDs with appropriate drives or connectors, hardware and software.